Reform the UN?

Question 1

[YES] outdated

Answer 1

• p5 based on WW2 not today, France and UK no longer significant powers, and no Southern powers, Europe overrepresented
• could have Germany (Europe’s largest economy, big role in EU), India (emerging power, largest democracy) or Japan (economic growth, large GDP, global cultural and consumer influence)
• excessive powers given to P5, disproportionate structural influence e.g. 4/5 re-elected to ECOSOC because they provide most of the funding
• UN outdated because a principal organ, the Trusteeship Council, is now redundant

Question 2

[YES] veto

Answer 2

• permanent veto has left issues hanging because no unanimous agreement, especially in Cold War
• opposition from China and Russia e.g. Russia blocked attempts at humanitarian intervention in Syria and supported Assad’s regime
• disproportionate power enables P5 to flout international law e.g. Russia receiving only economic sanctions for violating Ukraine’s sovereignty, and US and UK facing no consequences for illegal war in Iraq
• UNSC too powerful in comparison to other principal organs, if they had more substantial role it would be more democratic

Question 3

[YES] enforcement

Answer 3

• lacks enforcement, no world police means international law impossible to uphold, UN courts only used for strong states e.g. only states indicted by ICC were African, strong states have broken international law with largely no consequences
• lacks a standing army so can’t mobilise an effective force for humanitarian operations, and has had limited mandates so response has been inadequate e.g. Srebrenica, overall needs more enforcement capabilities, military strength, and decisive mandates

Question 4

[YES] previous reform

Answer 4

• UNSC reformed in 1965 changing non-permanent members from 6 to 10
• could have radical reform like new permanent members, or more moderate (possibly more successful) like more non-permanent, or more permanent without vetoes
• have been reforms to ECOSOC in 1964 and 1974 to increase representatives from 18 countries to 54

Question 5

[NO] still powerful

Answer 5

• still capable of decisive action, currently 11 peacekeeping operations under mandates given and renewed by UNSC resolutions, also monitoring fragile peace processes e.g. India and Pakistan, and carrying out stabilisation work e.g. South Sudan and Somalia could easily relapse into conflict
• UNSC not always gridlocked, in 2015 it agreed to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to end sanctions on Iran for its nuclear programme, in 2011 authorised military action in Libya, set up international tribunals for justice after conflict e.g. Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, agreed to remove chemical weapons from Syria in 2013
• great power unanimity thanks to the veto has kept the great powers locked in dispute resolution for 70yrs, unlike League of Nations, UNSC’s ability act determined by states’ willingness, not a weakness of the UN system

Question 6

[NO] action on poverty

Answer 6

• achieved success in economic and social development through MDGs and SDGs, 30yr programme of coordinated action with UN agencies, members states, IGOs, and NGOs, people in extreme poverty fell by 1/2 from 1.9 billion in 1990 to 836 million in 2015, most progress after 2000, out-of-school children fell by 1/2 since 2000 to 57 million in 2015
• progress under MDGs has been inconsistent, especially sub-Saharan Africa behind, but SDGs since 2015 seeking to identify gaps in progress and agree new targets, only UN could have put these programmes in place

Question 7

[NO] human rights and international law

Answer 7

• UNDHR in 1948 made UN beacon for universal human rights, although non binding, led to legally binding international human rights laws like the International Bill of Rights, Conventions against Torture (1987) and Rights of the Child (1990)
• UN established monitoring bodies like the Human Rights Council to investigate, monitor and promote human rights across the world
• while many states have a poor human rights record and ignore criticism from the UN, it’s hard to take tougher action whilst remaining true to its principle of state sovereignty, R2P acknowledges that if states don’t use their sovereignty responsibly they forfeit it to military action (e.g. Libya)

Question 8

[NO] climate change

Answer 8

• established the UNFCCC in 1992, a structure for climate talks, 2015 Paris Agreement (individual states reduce carbon emissions) was a result of decades of UN-led talks, provides a guided forum to respond to shared challenges, quality of outcomes of forums down to states’ willingness to act in international liberal interest